Ashwell late summer grass track 2026 – Italian pursuit winners 
Ashwell late summer grass track 2026 – Madison podium 
Spalding grass track 2026 – Unknown distance podium 
Spalding grass track 2026 – Devil podium 
Spalding grass track 2026 – John Appleby leading from Gavin Shirley and Sam Brook 
Spalding grass track 2026 – John Appleby and Dave Mitchinson lapping Stephen Brook
Our grass track season came to a conclusion at Spalding on Saturday, the first event of the summer that had to be temporarily halted owing to rain. It was the Open 800m National Championship, with a stacked field. Sam made the final but didn’t have the legs to contest for the podium, with Andrew Leveton winning in a photo finish from Gavin Shirley and Tom White.
Sam enjoys an Elimination race and rode it well, coming to the front later in the race to keep a good position and then being in the front 3 as the bell went for the final lap. John Appleby sprinted clear to win, with Sam moving clear of David Mitchinson in 3rd.
The 8km Scratch race was a cagey affair, with the fast boys stopping and starting several times. It came to a final lap bunch sprint won by John Appleby.
The final race of the day was an Unknown Distance, but with the day’s programme interrupted by rain and a crash in one of the sprint heats, Sam gambled that it would be a short one … and he was right. He went hard from the start, got a gap, and was relieved that the bell went after 2 laps – he held on to win with Gavin Shirley closing very fast.
The previous week’s meeting at Ashwell wasn’t part of the National Grass Track Series, so CC Ashwell put on a programme of different races, including a Sprint TT (combined times from a single flying lap and a 3 lap TT), an Italian Pursuit (with teams made up of riders from all age categories), and a 10km Madison (ridden in pairs, with a handsling changeover). Stephen managed to place 3rd in the ‘B’ group for the Sprint TT, and Sam was on the winning team in the Italian Pursuit (who only just managed to fit on the top step of the podium!), and finished 2nd in the Madison with partner Adam Cross from Forest Side Riders.
Unfortunately we missed Mildenhall as we were on holiday, but rode the rest of the season; it’s been great, not unlike CX in many ways with a close-knit community of riders (but much better weather). We need to wait for the final results, but believe Sam has placed 3rd overall in the National Endurance Series behind a dominant John Appleby (API Anglia Sport) and Dave Mitchinson (Sigma Sports Masters). Tom White was the clear winner of the National Sprint Series.